Improving maternal and newborn survival in Ethiopia

Introduction

Key facts - Maternal and Newborn Mortality

• Each year 300’000 mothers and 2.5 Mio newborns die around the world and another 2.6 Mio babies are stillborn.

• Every 11 seconds a pregnant woman or a newborn dies somewhere in the world. 

• Every day approximately 810 women die from pregnancy or childbirth and approximately 7’000 newborns die on the day of their birth.

• Maternal and newborn mortalities are unacceptably high and most deaths could be prevented. 

• The vast majority of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries and in low-resource settings.

• Ethiopia is a country with one of the highest mortality rates for mothers and babies in the world.

• A safe delivery is essential for survival and a skilled pair of hands to help mothers and newborns around the time of birth can make the difference between life and death.

• Lack of quality in health care at grass-root level and lack of access to health providers, besides different socio-economic factors, result in high maternal and newborn mortalities.